1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operating device provided in a variety of electronic devices, and particularly relates to an operating device that involves rotation or swiveling operations.
2. Description of Related Art
Operating devices for performing zoom operations are provided in digital still cameras, which have quickly become common in recent years. Such operating devices for performing zoom operations can be divided broadly into two categories: those that use the manipulation of a rotating switch or a sliding switch provided in the main body of the camera to electronically move a zoom lens in the direction of the optical axis; and those that use the rotation of a rotatable zoom lever or zoom ring provided coaxial to the lens barrel in the lens barrel itself to move a zoom lens mechanically in the direction of the optical axis. An example of the configuration of the latter is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP H10-20178A).
For example, the stated rotating switch is energized by a spring or the like so as to always return to a neutral position, and can be rotated from the neutral position in two different directions. Rotating the rotating switch in one direction can cause the camera to zoom out, while rotating the rotating switch in the other direction can cause the camera to zoom in. A stopper means regulates the rotation of the rotating switch to a certain degree of rotation (a rotational end) in the stated one or other directions.
If the stated rotating switch is rotated with excessive force and reaches the rotational end, a heavy load is exerted upon the stopper means, and there is the possibility that the rotating switch or the stopper means will break as a result. A configuration in which stopper means are formed at plural points, thereby distributing the load, can be considered as a way to prevent such breakage.
Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 (JP 2006-72165A), and Patent Document 3 (JP H4-36710A) disclose configurations in which stopper means, which regulate the rotational position of a zoom ring (operating member), are formed at plural points.
However, due to variations in the dimensional accuracies of the operating member and stopper means, the configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 through 3 cannot guarantee that the load will be distributed equally among the stopper means when the operating member is manipulated as far as the rotational end. If there are variations in the dimensional accuracies of the operating member and the stopper means, there is a problem in that the load will be concentrated on a single one of the plural stopper means, leading to the possibility that the operating member or the stopper means will break.